Atlantic Highway, England

Route (135 miles) It's easy: follow the A39, ignore your map/satnav and concentrate on stupendous views instead. On one side of the road are increasingly wild hills, on the other, some of Britain's best coastline.

End Bude's muddle of windy dunes, Victoriana and surfing marks the first seaside town in Cornwall but stay on the A39 for foodie Padstow or Newquay, the surfers' party town.

Look out for Charming little-known villages of the Quantocks and Brendon Hills, the National Trust's cutesy Selworthy village, the view from Lynmouth's water-powered cliff funicular railway and scenic detours to Ilfracombe and Combe Martin's rocky seashores and Hartland's bohemian end-of-the-worldness.

Where to stay/eatAndrews-on-the-Weir (+44 (0)1643 863300, doubles from £75 B&B) at Porlock Weir is a traditional, classy restaurant-with-rooms next to a tiny harbour. The thatched Rising Sun Hotel (+44 (0)1598 753223, from £60pp pn or £90 with dinner) at Lynmouth looks out across the bay. It's an inspirational spot: Shelley honeymooned here and RD Blackmore wrote part of Lorna Doone upstairs.

Yorkshire Wolds, England

Spurn Head, Yorkshire. Photograph: Alamy

Start Escape the M62 at J38, through North Cave village up to Beverley.

Route (135 miles) From Beverley's likeable minster, galleries and doily-clad teashops, drive north to the corny seaside charms of Bridlington. The long detour to Spurn Head is worth it for the sheer geographical oddity of this spit across the Humber Mouth. From "Brid", head south via the proud East Riding country towns of Driffield and Pocklington, where Burnby Hall Gardens' pretty lakes are home to the national water lily collection.

Ends Rejoin the M62 at the comfortable market town of Howden (J37), with its minster standing tall in the old centre.

Look out for Big skies, long straight roads and ancient villages nestling between smooth rolling hills; like Rudston, with its mysterious 26ft monolith, the tallest standing stone in England. I parked to walk around idyllic Londesborough village, not wanting to disturb its quiet, traffic-free perfection.

Where to stay/eat Eat at the Pipe and Glass Inn (01430 810246) among the pretty rows of estate workers' cottages in South Dalton overlooking Dalton Hall stately home. Sleep at the Beverley Arms Hotel (doubles from £60pn), an elegant 18th-century red brick coaching house.

Island Circuit, Isle of Man

Calf of Man island, Sound of Man. Photograph: Alamy

Start On Man, everything stems from Douglas, its surprisingly large and sophisticated capital and ferry port standing on a broad, sandy crescent bay.

Route (75 miles) Simply follow the coastline right round the island on lovely well-maintained roads. I'd recommend anti-clockwise – that way the driver has the best sea views. Bike fans and speed freaks can take a detour inland to drive the 37-mile TT course on public roads – there's no speed limit.

Look out for Avoid the first week of June when motorbikes take over the island, otherwise the roads are quiet enough to gaze at views of lush wooded glens running down to the sea, the solitary and occasionally snow-topped Snaefell mountain, varied but always unspoilt coastal landscapes and time-warp villages. My favourite spots include the modern Sound Cafe (01624 838123) overlooking the Calf of Man, pottering around Castletown's quaint harbour and a bracing walk up Snaefell for the panoramic view from the top.

South-West Coast, Ireland

St Colman's cathedral in Cobh, County Cork. Photograph: Alamy

Start Hire a car at Shannon airport or drive from the eastern ferry ports to Limerick.

Route (450 miles) From Limerick, head south via Blarney to Cork and Kinsale. Then turn west for Skibbereen, following the sequence of picturesque peninsulas and deep fjord-like bays back round to Limerick via Tarbert. You can add a circuit of County Clare's coast and the cliffs of Moher, returning to Limerick on the N18 from Ardrahan.

Look out for Lush countryside, rugged coastlines, islands, lakes and rivers. Park up for charming towns and villages of thatched cottages and friendly pubs, as well as Cork's city craic, Cobh's historic harbour and Kinsale's posh waterfront. The west coast road has some of Europe's finest scenery; my favourite is Bantry Bay, though most seem to prefer the Dingle peninsular.

Where to stay/eat The west coast has scores of lovely, small, old B&Bs in farms and country houses, like Grove House (+353 28 22957, grovehouse.net,/€59-€69pp B&B) and Shearwater House (+353 28 33178, €35pp B&B). Visit discoverireland.ie for more.

Ends Back where you started, Limerick has a memorable medieval castle on a river island in an old centre full of all the shops, cafes and culture you'd hope for.

The Hebrides, Scotland

Kisimul Castle, Isle of Barra. Photograph: Alamy

Start Drive off the ferry into the dour windy streets of Stornoway, the Hebrides' only town.

Route (150 miles) It's winding, single-track road all the way, but one of Britain's great travel experiences. To start, it's worth heading across Lewis' vast, flat, treeless machair landscape to see Stevenson's lighthouse at the Butt of Lewis and Port of Ness fishing village (and the tiny Saxon chapel where I got married). Drive south via the impressive Callanish Standing Stones – stop and soak up the sense of prehistory.

Look out for A sequence of islands full of views of mountains, sea, lochs and glorious white sand beaches. Highlights include driving through Harris' mountain pass and through sea spray on the causeways linking the central islands. Spot seals from your car and swaths of wildflowers in spring, and take a boat trip to Kisimul Castle on its little island off Castlebay in Barra.

Where to stay/eatScarista House (+44)(0)1859 550238, doubles from £175 B&B), a cosy manse on a huge, empty beach, is the best place to stay and eat. Recently extended Langass Lodge (+44) (0)1876 580285, doubles from £90 B&B) on North Uist runs it close.

The Grand Tour, Switzerland, France, Italy

Vernazza, Cinque Terre. Photograph: Alamy

Start At elegant Geneva's Lake Léman waterfront. Head along the south shore, passing from Switzerland into France.

Route (500 miles) Take the D902 south, climbing steeply to Chamonix via Thonon-Les-Bains. The seven-mile Mont-Blanc tunnel under the highest Alp is a strange thrill; emerging into Italy's deep Aosta valley is even better. From Turin, head south for Alba, hitting the Med at Savona. Enjoy the Levantine Riviera as far as La Spezia, then find the little roads climbing up the Apennines to Abatone, and then twist down into Florence. Make a circuit by returning on the winding minor routes to Bologna or Modena, then back up to the Alps via Milan.

Look outfor Lots of mountains, of course, plus all the shops, food and buzz of Italian cities, the undiscovered charm of its country towns and old-school swank of its glamorous coast. Portofino and Le Cinque Terre are seaside highlights; the twisty Apennine roads north of Florence a driver's joy.

Where to stay/eat Money no object? Park next to George Clooney's motorbike slot at the Splendido in Portofino (+39 0185 267 801, doubles from around €671). On a budget? Casa Cambi near Savona (+39 0182 78009, doubles from €80 B&B) is a colourful little hilltop hideaway.

Ends In Florence. Don't let the flat, industrial outskirts deter you, but think twice about trying to drive around the complex, restricted old city centre.

Pas de Calais, France

Route (160 miles) Take the little D940 via Boulogne along the Côte d'Opale to Le Touquet. The D349 to Hesdin along the river Canche is one of northern France's prettiest drives. Head north on the D928 to St Omer, then the N43 northwest back to Calais via Ardres.

Basque Circuit, Spain, France

Bar snacks in the Basque country. Photograph: Alamy

Start Bilbao's port (served by ferry from Portsmouth) at Santurtzi has great motorway connections: Madrid is only three hours' drive, Barcelona six. But this Basque country circuit makes a more interesting driving holiday.

Route (300 miles) Head south through Bilbao on the B1623 via a spectacular mountain pass to Vitoria-Gasteiz, turning east for Pamplona (take the N1 if you're in a hurry, the smaller scenic mountains roads to the south through Sierra de Urbasa if you're not). From Pamplona, the N-135 leads through the Pyrenees into France via the historic Roncesvalles pass. Views become more distracting . . . and corners more demanding. The D918 through the foothills provides another sequence of panoramas before you pick up the scent of the sea to Biarritz. I love heading back west to Bilbao along the Cantabrian corniche, mountains on your left, the Bay of Biscay below on your right.

Look out for The imposing plaza and cathedral at Vitoria-Gasteiz; Pamplona's compact historic centre, famous for July's bull run; the Riviera feel of Biarritz, with period promenades, elegant hotels and pounding surf; glamorous shopping and restaurants in St Jean-de-Luz; beaches and seafood at San Sebastiàn; smaller fishing villages like Getaria, Zumaya or Bermeo.

Bergen To Oslo, Norway

Start At Bergen's ferry port or airport. Take the smaller, more exciting road via Alvik to meet the Oslo road at Eidfjord.

Route (800 miles) Michelin's excellent European road atlases highlight especially scenic roads in green. The 350 miles from Bergen to the outskirts of Oslo is green all the way – meaning many hours of non-stop pointing and gasping. Return along on the coast road via Kristiansand and Stavanger, and swap mountains for pretty coastal towns, rocky islands and car ferry trips.

Look out for Elk. They make a hefty dent in even the toughest 4x4. Gaze at snow-topped mountains, sparkling fjords, deep conifer woods and fairy-tale wooden buildings like stave churches at Rollag and Uvdal. Arendal and Kristiansand are worth exploring for upmarket waterfront shops and restaurants. Norway's southernmost point at Mandal has a cute lighthouse and chic restaurant and, towards the end of the journey, the tiny white cottages next to the sea at Skudeneshavn near Haugesund, once voted Norway's prettiest village.

Ends Back at Bergen. Allow time for this world heritage city, especially gabled wooden buildings on the historic waterfront and riding funiculars and cable cars up the mountains.

Alpine Road, Germany

Neuschwanstein castle, Bavaria. Photograph: Alamy

Start At the island town of Lindau on Lake Constance. Before you leave, stroll between the old gabled houses packed in a maze of narrow streets.

Route (300 miles) This is one of the classic European drives – a designated scenic route twisting along the edge of the Bavarian Alps. It's much more interesting than the more popular "Romantic Road" but trickier to follow as it twists through scores of small towns and villages like Oberstaufen, Oberammergau, Ettal, Garmisch and Bad Tölz. You'll need a decent atlas and the map at: deutsche-alpenstrasse.de.

Look out for A switchback of lush Alpine meadows, snowy mountain peaks and ancient forests, punctuated by dozens of fairy-tale castles and lakes. Along the way pass through the winter-sport resort of Garmisch under Zugspitze, Germany's highest peak, and King Ludwig's Neuschwanstein castle and Linderhof palaces. I'm always left with memories of cows with bells around their necks, barmaids serving huge beers and sausages, and ornate wooden chalet-style houses with flower boxes overflowing with red geraniums.

Where to stay/eat Plenty of smaller hotels and guesthouses along the route, like Hotel Sonne (+49 8362 080 double from €109) in the heart of Füssen's old town. In Ramsau, the quaint Alpenpension Auengrund (ramsau.a-germany.com/alpenpension-auengrund, doubles from €58).

Ends The scenic mountain resort of Berchtesgaden next to Lake Königssee.